UP Lokayukta orders 3 more cases against Babu Singh Kushwaha

LUCKNOW: Troubles for disgraced Mayawati aide turned BJP sympathiser, Babu Singh Kushwaha, continue to mount with the Lokayukta directing a CBI inquiry against him in three cases. Kushwaha, under CBI probe in the National Rural Health Mission scam, will face probe in cases related to disproportionate assets, allotment of mining leases and fake marksheets and voter-ID cards.

Lokayukta justice NK Mehrotra said that on preliminary investigation he had found allegations against Kushwaha to be true and has recommended a CBI or Enforcement Directorate probe against him. He said that there were complaints against Kushwaha regarding favoring individuals in allotment of mining leases, floating benami companies, assets disproportionate to his income, land grabbing and running educational institutes through ill-gotten wealth.

Kushwaha, former family welfare and mining minister in Mayawati's Cabinet, is one of the prime accused in the 5,000-crore NRHM scam. An aide of Mayawati, he was expelled from BSP after he started speaking against BSP leaders and babus alleging they were trying to frame him in the scam and also get him killed.

Kushwaha was later inducted into BJP by state BJP chief Surya Pratap Sahi and senior leader Vinay Katiyar. It led to a massive uproar within the party. He later offered to step back and his membership of BJP was suspended.